


The Walking Dead: Losing Faith

by KotOR_Luvr



Series: The Walking Dead: Saving Grace [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Action, Angst, F/M, Horror, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-04 23:46:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11001507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KotOR_Luvr/pseuds/KotOR_Luvr
Summary: It's a constant cycle; your back is stabbed, your trust is broken, people you care for die. After two years, almost nothing has changed, and it's slowly destroying the Faith that Marianne worked so hard to keep. The instant her Faith comes into question, old friends begin to come back into her life and she is determined not to lose them the same way she lost everyone else.





	1. (Prologue) Escape

Just how many more repairs were needed for this bloody place? You'd think that with all of the fortifications they already did have, that things would be fine. But no, the bloody herd _had_ to come through two days ago and knock everything up! And then the storm; it came through and blew over the greenhouse the previous day, so they had to fix that up right away!

The work was really beginning to tire her out.

"Hey, come on; the day's almost over, Anne. You've been working hard, I'm sure Carver has noticed it."

"Aye, Ah know..."

It had been just over a year since Marianne had first joined Luke and his group, and just over a year since they all first joined this community at _Howe's Hardware_. Although, at first it was a safe haven for them, after the first few months, they were all soon discovering the wolf underneath sheep's clothing.

The people in the community were nice enough; Reggie, Tavia, Alvin, Rebecca, Mike, they were nice people. Troy and Johnny? Not so much, but they didn't really try to be dicks to everyone. But, really, it was Carver that was the tyrant of the group. The sad part was, he was the leader. It was starting to become his own personal dictatorship. Not only was it grating on her nerves, but it was also scaring her. Almost to the point that she wanted to leave.

But she didn't want to leave _him_.

At first, Luke had just attempted small talk with her. After finding out about her religion, he didn't seem too sure about how open she was to relationships. But as time passed, his small talks turned into attempts at flirting (which she thought was cute). She didn't try to flirt back too much, but a small flutter of her eyelashes, or a side glance, a small smile, or even just a quick sway of her hips, and that was flirtatious enough for him.

The first time he had come to her, asking if they could take their relationship a bit further, being more than friends, Marianne was shocked. Stunned, even. She had just stood there, mouth agape and her eyes searching his.

###

_"Hoot, now?"_

_Luke cleared his throat. "I like you, Anne. A lot. And, I was just wondering... if maybe we could be something more. Than just friends. You know?" He gently grabbed her hand, giving it a small squeeze. "We don't have to if you don't want to. But, I just wanted you to know..."_

_Marianne was at a complete loss for words. She had never really considered the concept of someone actually_ liking _her. Sure, boys have flirted with her, not really seeking a relationship. But Luke... he actually wanted something real. Not just some fling, a real relationship. Suddenly feeling breathless, she rested her head against his chest. His heart was beating so fast; he was nervous. "Lucas, Ah..." A small laugh escaped her lips. "Ah truly dinnae know what tae say..."_

_"You don't have to say much at all." He quickly said. "Just 'no', or 'yes'. That's all. If you say no, then I'll just walk away; no pressure, no nothing. If you say yes..." He trailed off._

_Marianne considered what he was saying. A relationship. That's what he wanted. It's dangerous, the voice in her head told her. You'll lose him, just like you did Ben and Travis._

_This isn't Ben_ or _Travis, the other voice said. This is Luke. He is brave, strong, trustworthy. He won't turn out like everyone else; he's a_ survivor _!_

_You've only known each other for a few months._

_It could be your only chance at love._

_He'll betray you._

_You trust him, he trusts you._

_All of these thoughts, these arguments and counter-arguments, all whipped through her mind in just a few seconds. She was wanting to be careful, not wanting to have her heart broken. She wanted to give him a chance, but what if things never worked out? What if he died, or she died? What if they got separated, what if she soon turned? What would everyone else think?_

_"Aye..." She breathed._

_She could feel his breath hitch slightly as his grip on her hand slackened. "Alright, then... Sorry, I just-"_

_"Lucas..." She interrupted, lifting her head to look into his eyes. "'Aye' means yes."_

###

Marianne smiled at the memory. That had been just over a year ago and from that moment onward, she and Luke had been a lot closer and everyone else didn't fail to notice. They would hold hands, or they would sometimes have late-night talks and whenever they were working together, they would often catch each other staring. It was almost cute. Carley had even come up to her, once, asking her, "Have you two even kissed, yet?"

They hadn't, of course, but Holy Hannah, did she ever want to!

"What're you smiling about?"

Marianne looked up, blinking rapidly. "Hm? Oh, nothing."

Luke quirked an eyebrow and smirked. "Alright, just keep the post steady."

When the greenhouse was knocked over, that meant a whole new frame was needed. And making the frame was hard enough, but making one with just a hammer and nails was even harder. And harder still with just two people on the job. However, there was a chance they wouldn't need to make the greenhouse again as Tavia had found some steel plates to join the beams, which would make the frame much stronger.

The frame was, however, coming along nicely. They were just starting to get the roof frame made up, which meant they were close to being done (done the framing, that is).

Luke hammered the last of the nails in and he wiped at his forehead. "Okay, on to the last one."

"Ah still dinnae think tha' walking across the beam is a safe idea."

Luke waved his hand dismissively. "We've done it a few times already, we'll be fine."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "If ye fall, Ah'll only laugh." She reminded him.

Luke handed the hammer to her and made his way across the beam first, walking briskly and seemingly with ease. Marianne was tempted to shake the beam, just to give him a little scare, but then she decided against it. It wasn't that big of a fall but if he hit his head it would be just as deadly as falling from the roof of the hardware store would be.

"Hey!"

Luke, who had just been making another step, was suddenly startled and mis-stepped, his foot slipping off the edge of the wooden beam. His arms pinwheeled for a brief moment before his other foot slipped off.

She had been half expecting him to at least fall onto his back or his rear on the ground, but she most _certainly_ wasn't expecting him to fall like _that_. Thanks to his other foot slipping off on the other side of the beam, his legs had done a scissor-split motion. As a result, he landed directly on his groin.

Marianne physically cringed as Luke growled loudly from the pain, laying out flat across the beam as his legs crossed over one another. "Right in the bawsack..." She groaned.

Nick, who had been the one to shout at him, also cringed. "Man, I was going to say you shouldn't be doing that. But I don't think I need to, anymore."

Luke glared pure ice at him. "Yeah, thanks for that."

Nick smiled cheekily.

"What's tha' ye got?"

He set down a load of plastic sheets, fresh and clean ones, beside the frame of the greenhouse. "Carver says he wants you two to start on the walls as soon as you're done with the frame."

Her eyes widened. "We've been at this all day, lad! Ah thought he only wanted us tae do the frame!"

He shrugged again. "It's not really my problem and that's just what he said. He _did_ say, though, that he was noticing how well the both of you have been working and to keep it up."

Marianne scoffed. "Well, at least he's noticed _tha'_."

Nick walked away and towards the ladder that lead to the outdoor section of the store. "Oh and Luke?" He called over to them. "Be just a bit more careful. Maria's gonna need those at some point."

At first her brows furrowed, his implications flying completely over her head. "Gonna need those..." She repeated. Her eyes widened and then she glared. " _Excuse ye, sir_?!"

Nick was already gone.

Her head snapped over to Luke, who was now literally pulling himself across the beam, looking to be in too much pain to really walk across it. "Did ye hear whit he just said, Lucas?!"

"Yeah." He groaned. "Yeah, I did. Just ignore him."

She became impatient and just stood up, walking across the outer beams to get to the other side. "Do we really look like tha'?" She asked herself. "Ah mean, all we've done is hold hands and cuddled-"

"He was just trying to get ya going, Anne. It's what he does." Luke told her. Once he finally made it to the other side, he sat himself up and swung his leg over so he was sitting properly on the beam. "God, that hurts..."

"It's whit ye get." She muttered.

He chuckled. "Hey, it's the first injury I've ever gotten from working. I'm _still_ beating you by a mile."

True enough, she thought. Marianne was a country girl, raised on a farm. She never minded getting dirty, doing heavy lifting, working big-machines or doing repairs, but the one thing she wasn't used to was construction work. She had hit her fingers with a hammer more than once (which is why Luke ended up with the hammering job), she's gotten herself cut on barbed wire, been hit in the head with a support beam (it was really her own fault, though, for thinking it was even secure in the first place) and she's hit several of her joints, including her elbows (which often lead to her dropping something on her foot).

"Ahm getting better at it!" She told him.

"Still beating you."

Marianne shook her head but smiled.

/ / /

The sun was just beginning to set as they were finishing the last wall, placing the plastic sheets on the frames and hammering them in tight and firmly.

As Luke handed her another sheet to hold onto, he briefly hesitated. "You know, what Nick said earlier... that's not what I'm looking for. From you."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Hoot, now?"

He proceeded to hammer some nails into the sheet, attaching it to the beams behind it. "Well, Nick was just hinting at us... well, you know, thinking we would..."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. Some days he walked on one too many eggshells. "It's called 'sex', Lucas."

A faint blush could be seen on his cheeks and he coughed. "Yeah. Anyways, Nick was just hinting at it and... I just wanna say that I'm not looking for that. I understand your religious morals and I respect them."

Marianne snorted. "If yer thinking about tha' whole 'waiting until marriage' moral, lad, Ah doubt tha' it'll even come _close_ tae happening. When was the last time ye saw a Pastor?"

"I know that, Anne, and that's not really what I meant." He quickly finished with the panel and set the hammer down on the ground. He then sighed. "I just don't want ya thinking I'm only wanting sex from you. I'm not. I mean, even if I was, I don't think this is even the kind of setting for... you know."

She leaned against the wall of the greenhouse, her brows furrowed. "'The kind 'o setting'?"

"There's no privacy here, first of all." He explained to her. "And secondly, there's Carver. I really don't know what he'd think."

That much was true. The only couple that was in Carver's community was Alvin and Rebecca, and they were married. Of course, he already probably knew about she and Luke, but if he didn't, how would he react to their relationship?

"Neither do Ah, tae be honest." She admitted. "Ah definitely understand where yer comin' from, Luke. First example o' no privacy is Nicolas. Second one is Carley-"

"Carley's being nosy, too?"

She nodded. "Aye, a while back she was askin' about us."

"And what about us?"

Marianne blinked rapidly and a blush could be seen spreading across her cheeks. "She was askin' if we've even nipped yet..." She replied, falling slightly into her Scottish slang.

"If we've what?" He chuckled. "'Nipped'?"

Her cheeks were now a deep red. "If we've kissed..."

Head down, eyes at her feet, she didn't dare meet his gaze. She wanted to kiss him. But even if _he_ wanted to kiss her as well, she didn't want to appear desperate.

Marianne almost flinched as his hand came into contact with her chin, tilting her head up so his eyes were looking into hers. "Last I recall, I don't think we have..."

She licked at her suddenly dry lips as her eyes searched his. Was he just saying that? Was it just flirting? God, why was she so nervous?!

"Hey, your supper is gonna get cold if you- OH!"

They both quickly pushed away from each other. But, of course, it was already too late. Carley had seen more than enough.

She just stood there, dumbfounded by what she had just seen. She pointed behind her. "I can just head back down..."

Marianne pushed away from the wall of the greenhouse and waved her hand dismissively. "Och, nae. Dinnae get the wrong idea, lass."

Carley raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You know, your relationship isn't that big of a secret. We're _all_ waiting for the both of you to-"

"Get going!" Marianne snapped, her face now completely covered in a blush.

/ / /

They were both sitting against the wall near their beds (well, they weren't really beds as they were just spare mattresses found and placed on the ground, but it worked), fingers intertwined and a thin sheet over their legs.

While most others were sleeping, Luke and Marianne's conversations would often carry later into the evenings. Although they had known each other for so long, they were still discovering new things about one another from before the outbreak started, so there was still plenty to talk about.

Luke chuckled, trying his best not to laugh out loud and end up waking the others. "Wait, so, you tried fishing. With your face?"

Marianne snorted along with him. "Aye, dinnae ask me why. Ah just thought tha' it'd be a good idea. At the time..."

"And how did that go for you?"

She shrugged. "Well, Ah ended up needing tae go tae the hospital after a wee snappin' turtle nabbed me oan the lip. Ah even got a scar from it. Other than tha', Ah think it went well."

He laughed quietly, then. "Alright, if you say so."

A small yawn escaped Marianne and she shook her head, trying to rid the tiredness from her eyes. "Don't try staying awake just for me, Anne." Luke told her. "If you're tired, then you should sleep."

She hummed in response and placed her head on his shoulder. "Ahm stubborn when it comes tae sleep..." She said.

He smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her head. "I can tell."

Her eyes suddenly opened and she looked up at him, her eyes searching his. The air, clear only just a few moments before, was suddenly filled with a palpable tension. Luke brushed back her bangs from in front of her eyes, which then fluttered closed. Her head tilted back, waiting, expecting, _hoping_. He never really _did_ like the idea of leaving someone disappointed.

His own eyes closed as he leaned down, tilting his head slightly, slowly closing the distance between them.

She nearly flinched as his lips brushed against hers, the contact feeling almost sudden. But she relaxed and a small sigh could be heard from her as her grip on his hand tightened.

It was a soft, almost delicate kiss. Her first one, he thought to himself. It definitely explained why she was so tense, right now. And why she wasn't breathing.

Luke, reluctantly, broke their kiss and Marianne could be heard taking in a deep breath, making him chuckle. "Breathe, Anne."

She nodded and laughed breathlessly. "Sorry..."

He pressed his forehead to hers, a smile on his lips. "There's nothing to apologize for. That was actually... very nice."

They both heard a small squeal (which really sounded more like a squeak) and they looked over to see Carley sitting at her own bed, her elbows on her knees and her chin on her knuckles, the most goofiest of smiles on her face. "Whit are ye bloody lookin' at?!" Marianne snapped, a blush painting her cheeks a bright red.

Luke snorted as Carley shrugged and lied back onto her bed. "Well, that answers her question, then."

/ / /

They all woke up to the sounds of shouts coming from the main warehouse and Marianne rubbed her eyes, cursing in her native language. " _Dè an ifrinn a tha a 'dol air_?"

Luke sat up and yawned. "What'd ya say?"

She shook her head. "Whit in the bloody hell is their problem?" She asked herself. "Who's even shouting?"

Reggie came from out of the warehouse area, a grim look on his face as the shouts continued. He gestured behind him. "I don't think you should bother those two, right now."

Carley growled and turned over onto her side. "Who's trying to wake up the whole community?"

"It's Carver and Rebecca." Reggie replied. "Alvin is there too, but he's not saying anything."

Marianne's eyes widened and she instantly sat up. Whenever there was an argument between those two, she knew it could get heated. But after the news that Rebecca had broke onto the group not even a week ago, their arguments were a lot more heated and Carver would often look close to hitting Rebecca.

Nick, Jessica, Carlos and Pete were the next ones to wake up, and they all didn't look impressed with what was going on. Sarah was, miraculously, still asleep. "Is it those two again?" Pete asked.

Reggie nodded.

"Carver is getting too possessive." Nick stated. "We _have_ to leave!"

Marianne took her one flat off her foot and chucked it at him. It didn't hit him, but it came close to it. He glared and threw the shoe back at her. "Haud yer weesht, Nick!" She hissed at him. "Yer aff yer heid! We cannae leave the community, no' without Carver catchin' us first!"

"We're not on the outside of the warehouse, though." Jessica retorted. "He trusts us, we're not being constantly watched by him."

"Tha' does no' mean a thing, Jess."

Pete held up a hand. "No, she's right. With Carver off our backs, we can get out of here easier than if he was watching us."

"What do you suggest, then?" Luke asked. "We just grab our weapons, steal a bunch of supplies and waltz out of here like there's nothing to it?"

"Not a bad idea, Luke." Reggie said.

"I was being sarcastic, Reg."

"So was I."

Carlos quickly pitched in before they could start a fight of their own. "Nobody said we should escape when it's daylight. Carver has to sleep as well. We should try and get out once night falls."

Carley sat up and stretched out her limbs, her joints audibly cracking. "We can't get all our stuff back in the night, though. We can't break into the armory-"

"Actually," Reggie interrupted. "We can. Carver gave Maria and I the job of reloading and restocking the weapons. We can find yours while we do so. Carver rarely checks the armory himself, so he might not see there are weapons missing."

Marianne shook her head. "Ah dinnae want tae be caught sneakin' about, Reggie." She stated. "Carver hit me once, Ah dinnae want tae be hit again."

"All the more reason you would want to leave, Maria!" Carley exclaimed. "And that wasn't just a hit, that was a punch!"

Marianne's fingers brushed over her cheek, the memory still fresh in her mind. She already had been having a bad day and when she made a mistake in fortifications just before a heard had come around, Carver had chewed her out for it. Of course, being the hot-head that she is, Marianne had talked back at Carver and didn't care for the amount of disrespect she showed. After her little rant, he stood there for a few brief moments, looking almost stunned, before he suddenly smacked her across her face. Or punched her. She really couldn't tell, he just moved too fast for her. All she knew was that he nearly broke her jaw and she had a good bruise on her cheek for nearly three weeks (she could barely eat without it hurting)!

"Someone should tell Alvin and Rebecca before we actually go through with it." Said Jessica.

Marianne sighed heavily, standing up from her bed and stretching out her limbs. If they were really going to go through with what was being planned, it was going to be one hell of a day!

/ / /

"Okay, so, just keep an eye out for the weapons and stuff them in your back pack when you can-"

"Ah can only put so much into it, Reggie." Marianne hissed. "It's no' Mary Poppins' endless bag o' goodies."

Reggie huffed and continued to reload the guns. "Okay, sorry."

The door to the armory suddenly opened and they both looked up to see it was Carver. Marianne was desperately hoping he didn't even catch the tail-end of that spat!

"I'm surprised you're already working."

She shrugged and resumed with reloading the rifle. "Oh, we were already up so we decided tae get started."

"Well, it's good you two are showing initiative." Carver stated. "I trust you two can have all of those loaded by the end of the day?"

Reggie smiled. "Yes, we've got this."

Carver raised an eyebrow but left the two of them to their devices. Marianne couldn't help but give him a small smack on his knee. "Ye dinnae need tae sell it tha' much!"

He shook his head and rolled his eyes, placing the rifle back in its spot. He then grabbed a handgun that was resting on the table. "Uh, Maria? I think his might be Carley's."

She quickly inspected the gun and, checking to make sure the magazine was full, placed it in her back pack. "Aye."

The rest of their day went on like that for a while, reloading weapons, cleaning the rifles, and sometimes stashing weapons and ammo in Marianne's back pack. Of course, there were some things that couldn't be hidden, like a rifle or her crossbow.

The crossbow hadn't been used at all whenever there was a herd passing through. It wasn't as efficient, as once the arrows were fired, you couldn't get them back unless you physically went and retrieved them. So, it just sat in the armory for over a year, collecting dust. Of course, she would make sure that it wouldn't get too dirty; whenever she worked in the armory, she would make sure it was cleaned.

She had to get back into the armory once the group started to make their escape. They'd need more than three handguns and ammunition if they wanted to make it out.

Marianne groaned and stretched out, arching her back over her chair and wincing at the sound of her bones cracking. When she was stretching backward, she didn't fail to notice the blade that was hanging on the wall. She quickly stopped stretching and turned around in her chair.

It was Luke's machete!

She snatched the blade from its spot on the wall and stuffed it into her back pack, quickly closing the zipper over it. Although Carver trusted Luke enough to have the blade with him when doing outside work, he didn't trust him enough to be carrying it around when he was inside the building.

Still, he was definitely going to need it once they made their escape.

/ / /

"Please tell me tha's all o' them..."

"Yes, Maria." Reggie wiped his hands off on a rag. "The herd didn't look _that_ big when we were fighting them off..."

Marianne groaned and swung her back pack over her shoulder. "Herds _always_ are bigger than what they look, lad."

Once they left the armory, she didn't fail to notice how dark it was getting outside. Had they really been working that long at restocking and cleaning the weapons?

The smell of food wafted into her nose, making her mouth water heavily. Whatever was being cooked, it certainly smelled good!

Carver approached them and Marianne prepared herself. "So, what's the count?"

"Three pistols, four rifles, and about two semi-autos." Reggie replied. "That needed to be reloaded, at least. The total weapon count comes to about eighteen."

Carver nodded. "Good. Your dinner is ready."

Both Marianne and Reggie breathed a quiet sigh of relief. If he trusted them enough to not check the armory himself, their escape would be a lot easier than they thought.

Once they got to their spots in the "bedroom" area of the building, Marianne quickly hid her back pack behind a stack of crates. Carver normally didn't root through her things, but she wouldn't put it past Troy or even Johnny to go through it. She didn't want to risk having them discover the little 'stash' in it.

Rice and beans again, she thought, picking up her plate and sitting on the ground. She was more than grateful for the food, but sometimes just having rice and beans most of the time could get pretty sickening.

Everyone ate quietly, including Alvin and Rebecca. Did they know the plan they had come up with? And did Sarah know as well? Was Rebecca or Alvin even willing to leave the community?

So many worries, so many things that could go wrong. They could get caught, they could be shot at while they ran, they could get trapped by Chompers, anything could happen! But anything could also _not_ happen.

She huffed and ate a spoonful of food. She had to stop worrying. Whatever came their way, they were strong individuals, they could push through it!

They had to...

/ / /

Marianne woke up suddenly as someone shook her shoulder. "Anne!" Someone hissed. "Wake up."

She shot up. "What?!"

"We're leaving. Now." Luke informed her. "We already got food and some more weapons, we just gotta get moving!"

Marianne looked around to see everyone was already awake, weapons ready and food packed into a large tote. Pete was the one carrying the bag. She yawned and stood up. "Right, right..." She whispered.

Luke handed her her back pack, which contained her crossbow and arrows. "Troy, Mark and Johnny are on patrol outside, so we gotta be careful."

She removed her crossbow, loading an arrow into it, and swung her back pack over her shoulder. She then grasped the silver pendant that hung over her chest. "Ah'll be prayin' as we go." She told him.

"If we're going to go," Nick hissed, "We need to go now!"

Marianne glared but said nothing. This was a stressful time for all of them, no sense in making the situation worse.

They all quietly left the warehouse, looking around for any signs of activity. Although Troy and Johnny were outside, Tavia could still be awake inside. Or Jackson or Keith. Seeing the coast was clear, they all made a beeline for the door, careful as to not trip over anything and alert someone in the building.

Reggie opened the door for them and ushered them out, making sure nobody was seeing them leave. Once everyone was out, he closed the door behind him and walked down the stairs. "Okay," he whispered. "Nobody saw us."

Pete checked the border of the forest. A few Lurkers here and there, but other than that, the coast was pretty much clear. He turned around. "Try to stick together as a group." He told them. "Try and pick a person to partner with in case you get separated, we don't want anyone wandering alone."

Everyone nodded. "Alright, let's go!"

The whole group took off, charging directly for the edge of the forest.

" _Hey_!"

In their rush to escape, they had forgotten to check along the roof or the wall to make sure that nobody was looking in their direction. In turn, Troy had spotted them running to the forest.

Bullets could be heard and several of them stumbled as bullets hit the dirt around them, kicking up dust as they impacted. " _Keep running_!" Pete shouted.

Shouts could be heard as more bullets fired at them, splintering the bark of the trees as they escaped into the forest. Reggie dared to look behind him to see if they were being chased. His lack of attention caused him to trip over an exposed tree root, making him yelp in surprise.

Carley looked back. "Reggie!" She shouted.

She ran back for him, helping him back up to his feet. "I go-"

Carley's sentence was immediately cut off as a rifle fired off a single round. Marianne stopped and looked back, her eyes widening with horror as Carley fell to the ground, blood pouring from a bullet wound in her head.

She wanted to go back, to help Reggie. But Luke grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. "Come on!" He yelled. "We need to keep going!"

Not this again, she thought. They had worked so hard, they tried so hard. To keep the group together, to keep things going, to stay safe and work together. Now, with them running through the forest, with Carley shot and Reggie most likely dead, all of those things were thrown out of the window.

And so, the cycle begins again.


	2. Time

_**7 Months Later** _

Three dead fish were thrown onto the counter, making Pete nearly jump out of his seat. He looked at the fish, all poked through with arrows, and then looked up at her. "What exactly happened to you?"

Marianne sighed, grabbing a spare rag from the counter and wiping her face off. "Ah fell in after a crawlin' one almost chomped me."

She looked to be a complete mess! Mud almost caked her jeans and there was a slight bit of mud smeared along her face and hands. Her clothes looked wet, there was just a few twigs stuck in her hair and there was a small amount of blood along her arms.

"There's no way you got all that on you just from falling into the river."

She shrugged. "Och, nae; Ah slipped oan some mud and the like. Fell through a brush, had tae dodge some Chompers. All tha' fun stuff."

Pete scoffed and grabbed the fish, taking them off of the arrows and setting them on a chopping board. "You gonna help me gut them this time?"

"Ah need tae change and get cleaned, Peter!" She exclaimed. "Where's everyone else?"

He grabbed a knife and stabbed one of the fish with it. "Nick and Carlos are still out, Alvin and Rebecca are in the living area, Sarah is in her room and Luke is... somewhere."

"'Somewhere'?"

"I don't keep track of the boy, Marianne." He stated. "You'll probably find him at some point. Now, I'm a little busy, so you just go get cleaned up."

Marianne rolled her eyes and smiled. Pete was the only one who could get away with calling her Marianne. Well, him and Luke, but Pete was more like a father-figure to her. Normally when an adult called her by her full name, she'd be going the other direction, but when he called her Marianne, it was more of a stern reminder or just a way to grab her attention. When he called her Mary, that was when it was a casual conversation. It was when he called her 'Maria' that she knew she was in deep shit!

She nodded to Alvin and Rebecca, who both waved slightly, and she headed up the stairs and to her room. The cabin was nice enough and it had plenty of rooms and bedrooms. It was also cozy, kept them warm when it needed to. Sure, they had to fix up the cabin a few times but that was only a minor thing. It was one of the best shelters that Marianne had ever stayed in, it was a miracle that they had even found it in the first place. It was a safe haven, and she was more than grateful for it.

She opened the door to her room and set her back pack on the ground, stretching out her arms.

"What happened to you?"

Marianne looked to see Luke laying on the bed. "Sorry, were ye sleeping?"

He shook his head. "No, you're fine. Just woke up not too long ago."

She ran a hand through her short hair, grimacing as she felt the twigs get trapped between her fingers. "Ah fell in the river. Slipped oan mud and the like."

He chuckled and sat up from the bed. "Sounds fun."

She rolled her eyes and walked over to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Although the house had no power, they had managed to find a way to get themselves cleaned. They used pails and got water from the river and boiled it over a fire to get rid of the germs. They had found some wash cloths and soap in the cabin, so they used those to help clean themselves. Of course, they wouldn't give themselves a whole 'bath', but just wash the essential areas; hands and arms, legs, sometimes their feet. Of course, washing their genital areas was a must whenever cleaning themselves. Once done, they would toss the cloths, dirty clothes and towels in an empty pail and by the end of the week (they counted out seven days) they would wash the cloths in the river. It was a tedious process, but it worked.

Of course, they wouldn't always need a bath. Like Marianne. She had been wearing jeans when she slipped in the mud and her hands were only a bit dirty. She was just wet, so she needed a towel to dry off. And she just needed to use a hairbrush to get the twigs and leaves out of her hair.

She opened the cabinet and took out a towel and some clean, dry clothes. The previous owners of the cabin must have been out somewhere before the outbreak started, because there was loads of fresh clothes, including undergarments. But they used the clean clothes sparingly, of course.

As she dried herself off, Marianne couldn't help but think about the times before they were all hiding. Before the outbreak, before everyone started eating each other. It felt like such a long time ago, and yet, at the same time, it felt like it was only yesterday.

There were some days she wished she could go back to those times, back to when she had to worry about school, worry about exams and driving tests. She wanted to go back to when she had to worry about the dog getting at the food on the counter, back to when she _didn't_ have to worry about being killed in her sleep.

She pulled the clean clothes on, composed of a pair of black yoga pants and a grey tank top. She then sighed and leaned against the bathroom sink, looking at herself in the mirror.

She looked tired, she thought. There was a ghost of black under her eyes, her hazel eyes have long since lost their usual gleam. Her hair, which she always kept long and tied back, was now short, her bangs just barely reaching her eyes. Her eyes traveled down to her shoulder and her fingers grazed over the scar that was there. A perfect shape of a bite mark. There was no chances of it disappearing anytime soon. The one on her forearm hadn't even began to fade, despite the amount of time that had passed since she was first bitten.

Her fingers clasped around the silver pendant that hanged from her neck. She still had her bible, she still occasionally flipped through the pages, but that was becoming rarer and rarer as the days passed. She still remembered Travis, and what he had said to her back in Georgia, back at the Inn, just a few short hours before he had been murdered. _"How can there be an 'all loving God' when the dead are walking on the Earth? How can an 'all loving God' let this happen, let so many people die and let so many people suffer?"_

For what felt like the hundredth time, she felt that doubt settle deep within her heart. She released her grip on her cross and sighed. "Shite..." She cursed.

Marianne turned away from the sink and opened the door, closing it behind her and setting herself on the bed beside Luke. Opening the drawer of the nightstand, she pulled out her bible and opened the cover of it.

Luke knew her long enough to know that, whenever she pulled out her bible, she wasn't in the best of moods. "You alright, Anne?" He asked, moving onto his side so he was right next to her. She never just flipped to the cover, he thought. He quickly looked over her shoulder. It was a picture, taped to the back of the cover. He immediately recognized her, but the other three he didn't know. They all had their arms over each other's shoulders, smiles on their faces. One of them had made bunny ears behind someone else's head. "Who're they?"

"Ah told ye about Ben and Travis, aye?"

"Yeah."

She pointed to the boy on the left. Dark brown hair, small bits of freckles on his cheeks, the one who was making the bunny ears behind the boy beside him, who was a bit taller and had light brown hair. "This is Travis, the one beside him is Ben."

Luke pointed to the two other people on the right. "And who are these?"

"Them? The one with the glasses is Arvo. He was part o' the exchange group and was in our school band. The lass beside him is his older sister, Natasha."

"You all were friends?"

A small smile formed on her lips. "Aye, tha' we were. This picture... reminds me o' the time when things were good. When Ah had people tae talk with, ye know?"

Luke chuckled. "What does that make me, then?"

Marianne smacked his arm slightly. "Ye know what Ah mean, Lucas!" She placed her bible on the nightstand. "Although this isn't the best kind o' situation, Ah dinnae think tha' Ah would've met ye any other way."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "I am pretty great, aren't I?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Yer alright." She fingered at the locks that fell in front of his face. "Ye still need tae get a haircut, though. And shave tha' wee spout o' peach fuzz ye got."

He raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I worked hard for this look! Besides, I don't think you mind as much as you let on."

There was just a small bit of a mustache on his upper lip and a peach fuzz-like stubble across his jawline and chin. It gave him an older, more rugged look, something she liked, but that never stopped her from occasionally poking fun at him.

"Maybe, maybe no'. But Ah still think ye should shave."

"I'll shave, once you start letting your hair grow out."

"Ah like it short. Easier tae take care o'."

"Well, then this 'peach fuzz' is staying." He turned them over so he was on his back and she was laying against his chest. "Whether you like it or not."

She couldn't help the small smile that spread on her lips as he kissed her, his hand brushing through her hair as the other rested at her hip. Their relationship had been growing steady for the past seven months and nobody had failed to notice it, either. For the first while, Marianne had been sleeping on the small sofa in the living area while Pete had the couch. Nick and Luke shared a room, Alvin and Rebecca shared another, and Carlos shared a room with his daughter, Sarah. After three months, Nick had offered to let Marianne stay in the same room with Luke and he would take the sofa. At first, she refused, but he had insisted "since you two are, you know, a _thing_ ". She hadn't missed the implications in his statement, and she quickly corrected him at where they both stood in their relationship, but he still took the sofa the next evening, giving her no choice but to 'move in' with Luke.

It was almost awkward for her at first, sleeping in the same bed with someone else, with a _man_. She could often be a restless sleeper and there had been more than one occasion in which Luke informed her that she had nearly pushed him off the bed, or she would wake up with an arm around him (or vice versa), or she would often slip off the side of the bed and onto the floor. Eventually they got used to each other (more like she got used to him) and their sleeping habits wouldn't bother the other. As the time passed, however, they actually slept together (the rule of 'staying on your side' being pushed away). They trusted each other, they knew where they stood, he respected her, and she respected him. At this point, it was safe to say they loved each other.

It felt almost odd for her, though. She was a fully grown woman, being almost twenty-one years old (she guessed; her eighteenth birthday came around shortly after meeting Carver and his group, so she was just guessing her age by the seasons that passed). She and Luke had been together for almost over two years, and they never really moved beyond being a 'couple'. They did have their 'heated moments', however. Much like this one.

Luke's hands slipped underneath her tank-top. Briefly breaking their kiss, Marianne quickly lifted her tank top over her head and threw it off to the side. She kissed him again as his hands roamed freely, his fingers ghosting over her hips, her stomach, under her breasts, anywhere he could touch. They then slid over her back and over the clasp that held her bra together. A deep shiver shot through Marianne as his tongue slipped past her lips, to which she responded with equal fervor.

The bed groaned underneath them as she swung a leg over him, now on top of him as she straddled his hips. She tugged at his shirt. "Off..."

Sitting up, Luke quickly dispensed with his shirt and her hands splayed across his chest, feeling the taut muscle underneath her fingers. "Ye know, Lucas..." She spoke between kisses. "They think... think tha' we're..."

Marianne suddenly trailed off. "That we're what?"

" _Doing it_."

Luke suddenly stopped, pushing back slightly to look into her eyes. "We're not, Anne."

"Ah know, Ah know." She licked at her lips, hesitating only slightly. "But whit if Ah wanted tae...?"

His eyes widened slightly. "Really?"

He was shocked, she knew. In the time they've been together, they hadn't had sex even once. They were both content with that, of course, and neither of them had brought up the topic. Until now.

"We've been together fer so long, Luke, and Ah..." She pressed her forehead to his, laughing breathlessly. "Ah just..."

"I don't want you to feel like you have to, Anne."

"Ah dinnae feel like Ah have tae, Ah _want_ tae! Unless ye dinnae want-"

She was cut off by Luke's lips roughly pressing to hers and her back was suddenly pressing against the bed, Luke's full weight settled on top of her. He wasn't as heavy as one would expect; she could breathe. And yet, she still felt completely breathless.

His lips left hers as he kissed a trail from her mouth to her jaw, then to her neck. "I want you, Marianne."

She sighed contentedly as her fingers ran through his wavy locks, her legs wrapping around his waist. She wasn't the most experienced of women when it came to sex but, before the outbreak, she had been a real sucker for romance novels (mainly historical) so she at least got the general idea of how things were supposed to go. Then there was also high school and the health class she had to go through (which almost nobody took seriously).

But still, just knowing that didn't stop her heart from racing uncontrollably.

She suddenly shivered as Luke's hands moved along her sides. They almost felt cold compared to the heat of her body, wherever he touched her never stayed cool for long. His hands then settled just under her breasts, almost hesitantly. "Anne?" Marianne looked to see Luke was waiting, looking up at her. Had he just asked for... permission?

She opened her mouth, ready to respond, when the door to their room opened.

"I called the both of you about three times already! Dinner is-"

They both looked up to see Pete, door swung wide open. The instant he saw them, his eyes widened and he quickly shut the door, uttering no words of shock or apology.

Marianne groaned and put a hand over her eyes, the realization of what had just happening settling into her mind. "Tha' was embarrassin'..." She muttered.

She heard Luke snort and she looked to see his shoulders shaking with a controlled mirth. "How do ye find this amusing?" She seethed.

Luke looked up, trying his best (and failing) to prevent a smile from spreading across his lips. "I-it's just that..." He took a breath, trying his best to keep his composure. "Pete is _definitely_ gonna give one of us a lecture. Or both of us."

"Oan what?!"

Luke sat up, deepening his voice slightly and mocking a stern expression. "I understand you're in a relationship, but we already have one pregnant woman, we don't need another!"

Marianne covered her face with her hands, moaning loudly as she turned onto her stomach. "Ah swear, if he actually gives either o' us tha' lecture..." She trailed off.

He laughed, then, pulling his shirt back over his head. "Well, you do whatever you feel like. But we should probably get downstairs before someone else comes up to get us."

/ / /

Dinner was fairly short, but for Marianne, it felt like it had taken hours to finish the meal. She _swore_ that she felt Pete burning a hole into the side of her head! Every time she looked, Pete was also looking at her, a stern look in his eyes. Luke was right; he _definitely_ was going to give them a lecture.

After the dishes had been washed, most of the group had gone up to their respective rooms. Nick was the one on border duty for the evening, so he was out. Marianne and Luke both were in the living area of the house. She was reading a novel that had been found in one of the rooms while he was sharpening his machete.

She muttered the page number under her breath and closed the book, setting it on the coffee table. "Ah think Ahm callin' it a night."

"Not so fast, Marianne."

The Scot immediately cringed and shrunk slightly in her seat and exchanged a look with Luke. They both _immediately_ knew what was going to happen.

Pete sat in the chair across from Luke and Marianne. "I think we need to talk about what happened earlier."

Luke set the machete on the coffee table and picked up a glass filled with water. "What is there to talk about? We're both adults, we're both responsible."

Pete crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. "That may be, Luke, but that's besides the point right now. Look, I understand that you're in a relationship, but we already have one pregnant woman, we don't need another."

Luke, who had been taking a sip of his water, quickly set the glass down and attempted to hold back a snort. The result of his ill-timed laughter was water coming out from his nose. Marianne breathed out heavily through her nose, making it sound more like an extended snort, and she held her hand to her mouth in an attempt to stop the fit of giggles that threatened to escape her.

The older man was both confused and completely unimpressed with the young couple. "I don't see how that's funny." He stated.

Luke wiped at his nose, opened his mouth to speak, and was quickly overcome with another fit of giggles. Marianne managed to regain most of her composure. "Nae, it's no' tha'! It's just..." She took a deep breath. "Luke was saying tha' ye'd give us a lecture. Ye just said the _exact_ thing tha' Luke said ye'd say!"

"That may be, but this is still a serious conversation." He looked to the younger man. "Luke."

He wiped a tear from under his eye and cleared his throat. "I know, I know. Sorry, that was just... a little too coincidental."

"We also understand yer concerns, Peter." Marianne said. "But Ah think we have this handled."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh do you? Last I checked, you are a religious woman, so I doubt you've had sex before."

A deep blush painted her cheeks and she looked away, not bothering with a response.

"Have you talked it out?" He then asked. "Have you made a plan? Have you figured out what you'll do if you do end up with a kid?"

"No, Pete, we haven't." Luke sighed. "Look, it was just... spur of the moment sort of thing. You can't entirely blame us, either."

Pete nodded. "True, I can't. But still, you both should think this through before things get out of hand. Alright?"

They both nodded. "Good. Now, Mary, you're on my bed."

/ / /

"He's right, ye know."

"Hm?"

Marianne sat on the bed, pulling the top sheet over her legs. "We should probably plan things oot before we... ye know."

Luke sat beside her. "Yeah. Yeah, that might be a good idea."

"Ah dinnae have much experience with... Ah just dinnae know what tae expect, really. Aside from romance novels and health class in high school, Ah dinnae know much about sex and... pregnancy."

"Did you not have any sisters or something?" Luke asked. "Who were married or anything?"

She shook her head. "Nae, Ah was an only wean. My mother gave me a talk, but no' so much about pregnancy. Ah didnae ask, either, considering Ahm a religious lass."

"Yeah, I get that. And, I'm a guy, so I never really concerned myself with that stuff." He cleared his throat. "Just basics on preventing pregnancy and such."

Marianne covered her face with her hands and fell back against her pillow. "Ah feel like a wee schoolgirl talking about this. Ahm an adult, Ah should be fine talking about this..."

"Don't worry," He tried to reassure her. "I'm feeling the same way right now. But I guess it's something we have to talk through before we end up forgetting."

"Aye, true." She sighed.

Marianne removed her hands from her face and sat up, turning herself around so she was facing Luke. "So, if we do end up having sex and Ah end up pregnant, whit do we do? Rebecca is already expecting a wee bairn in barely a couple o' months. Havin' one wean would be... challenging in times such as these, but two?" She shook her head. "Ah dinnae want tae end up being a burden tae anyone."

He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, don't be like that. Remember, I'd be the father, so I'd also have that responsibility of taking care of the baby. You're not alone in this, Anne. You wouldn't be a burden to anyone, least of all me."

She shrugged slightly. "Ah suppose..."

Luke gave her a small smile and kissed her gently. "How's about we sleep on it, alright? Then we can talk more in the morning."

Nodding in agreement, Marianne blew out the candle on the nightstand, slid underneath the cover and settled herself on her side, sighing contentedly as her head hit the soft pillow. Luke's arm slipped under hers and then wrapped around her waist, bringing her body closer to his. He kissed her cheek. "G'night."


End file.
